written a Detection of his lying Discouerie and haue touched nothing concerning Sommers testimonic mine owne answers and the seuerall depositions Then haue I written nothing at all For there be scarce anie lines in it which concerne not one of these three But thereof let the world Iudge I can say no more I hope I haue shewed how indirect a course it is that Sommers by threats flatterings and promises of maintenance shoulde first he brought to accuse himselfe after me and then to witnesse against me that mine owne answers should be curtalled and stretched after the Discouerers pleasures that the depositions which were against their likings should be suppressed and others published so far forth as might giue occasion of doubt to the Reader What dare not you auouch which are so bold to affrme that wherof the contrary appeares in euery mans hand If your meaning were that in some particular I haue pretermitted this which your words will not beare then you should haue done well to haue named that Particular as the nature of an Instance requireth which seeing you haue not done it is thereby plaine your selues be rather guiltie of legerdemaine then L Those pages which you quote in the margine I grant I passed ouer for that they concerne others and S. Hars Disc 28. 29. not my selfe as also because the matter was friuolous and vnworthy answere as may there appeare vrging the being of a thing by no other reason but because such a thing might be But marke what a faire threed these men haue spun and how seeking to discredite my Detection they haue brought not a little credite vnto it For I will hence proue that in my Detection I haue not let passe one materiall point of M. Harsnets Discouery vnanswered and namely thus If Darrell haue in his Detection let goe anie materiall point of the Discouery vnanswered then would the Discoursers haue giuen some instances of such omission where they endeuor to proue the same by instances But the Discoursers instancing to that end haue giuen not so much as one instance of such omission Ergo Darrell in his Detection hath not let goe any one materiall point in the Discouery vnanswered pag. 8. 9. My second cunning sleight by your saying is that I disgrace by all meanes Sommers testimonie produced against me but extoll it for me vpholding by it the signes of Possession Dispossession That no credit is to be giuē to his lying testimony I auouch it indeed in the place by you cited but where do I vphold the signes of possession dispossession by Sommers his testimonie wherewith you charge me why do not you also cite some place for this You thought if one part of your assertion were true the Reader would pardon you for the rest It is such nouelty for you to speake truth that any litle is to be accepted at your hands From the Epistle of the Detection you come to the Narration the proofe wherof you will not haue to depend vpon report of the fact pag. 10. 11. but vpon continuance of Essentiall Possessions and Dispossessions in these times A ridiculous thing and to be hissed at The reason why you eschew to deale against matter of fact I haue sufficently declared in the beginning Wel I wil follow you in your course come to your Answere to the Doctrine Which treatise to admit such an hotchpotch as you say though sober men will iudge it set downe in such order as is conuenient it is not for euery one to cooke his matters so artificially as your Discoursing gallimaufrey is but the more skil it wantes the more credit for truth it ought to haue seeing it rasteth simply as bare nature giues without commendation of any slibber-sauce First for Essentiall possession you reproue me or at least Exorcistes for arguing from the word Possession out of the Geneuah translation pag. 12. 13. whereas I no where nor any man else inferre essentiall inherencie from the word Possession as I haue shewed in the Suruey of your Dialog Discourse yet is the same confuted by the Originall by Erasmus Beza Castalio and Montanus But this was your voluntarie perhaps before you came to your musicke now let vs beare your set and meditated song Wheras I argue a possession thus The pag. 13. 14. actions or pasrions which the parties endured were supernaturall and therefore proceeded from supernaturall causes You deny the actions were supernaturall and that for three reasons First Naturall causes haue had more wonderful effects which I think I haue sufficiently answered in the beginning of your seuenth Dialogue Now therefore in one word Is nothing supernaturall in any creature which is exceeded by anie other worke in nature Then the foming wallowing the breaking of chaines asunder reported of Demoniakes in the Gospel were not supernaturall because something more wonderful Dialog Dis 204. may come from a naturall cause as that mentioned by you of the little fish Echneis which being but halfe a foote long if shee but once cleaue to the side of a ship wil compel it perforce to stand still notwithstanding the violence of the wind or oare I am ashamed to heare men thus absurd You might haue considered had your wits beene your owne that these actions or passions are not therefore supernaturall and so called because they are more wonderfull then anie thing issuing from nature which a naturall would scarce affirme but partly because they are for the most part aboue that and more wonderfull then the nature of man can send forth and partly in respect of the supernatural cause from which they did proceed namely the diuel Secondly say you One cause may bring forth sundry effects and one effect may proceed from sundry causes Doubtlesse happy might that man be that could apply either this One cause or these sundry causes to this cause we haue in hand Is this your proposition If one cause may bring forth sundry effects and one effect proceede from sundrie causes then the Actions or Passions reported by me in the Demoniakes were not supernaturall It is wonderfull what a man shal gaine by disputing with you For now haue I learned by your priuiledged proposition Not only these actions of our Demoniakes not to bee supernatural but also neither any action of any Demoniake that either the Apostles or Christ himselfe deliuered Thirdly The like effects issue from diuers diseases I answere If your skill in physicke be so great tell vs I beseech you from what disease so many strange effects might arise as are witnessed to haue bene in these parties what disease it was they had Whether had they the Lunacie or the phrensie or the Epilepsie or the Mother or it was some Convulsions or Crampe that they had Name the disease And if so manie effects doe not proceede from one disease as it is very likely declare how manie diseases they had and what they were And whether they had all the diseases
as Hildebrand did Abbas Cassinensis frater nimtum tardasti Deere brethren you have beene somewhat too slow in publishing your Dialogicall Discourses yet I doubt not but both you and I will with one consent rather returne the contrarie to them Et vos Disputatores nimium festinastis And you O Discoursers haue made too much haste For had you trauelled as long as the Elephant in bringing forth her young yet the birth of such monstrous deuises so ignorant so erroneous so slaunderons so impious had bene abortiue vntimely and too soon For this cause I haue dealt more roundly and freely with them then otherwise I would haue done with ordinarie men They could not possibly be wakened out of so strong an Apoplexie but by burning feathers and shoo-soles vnder their noses neither would the Reader haue bene sufficiently warned to eschew their fraud except the trumpet had sounded shrill in his eares And whereas some of you reuerend and beloued brethren affirming and verie truly that their bookes were vnworthy the answering did thereupon earnestly disswade me from writing I answere Tit. 1. 10. So also was the doctrine of those vaine talkers Paul mentioneth to Titus vnworthy to be confuted yet the Apostle saith Their mouthes must be stopped And how by conuinâ—ing as there followeth Matt. 12. 24 What could be more palpablie false then that of the Pharisees Hee casteth out diuels through Beelzebub the Prince of diuels Notwithstansting our Sauiour did conuince theÌ„ Euen so did S. Peter those who Act. 2. 13 mocked and said the Apostles were full of new wine when the holy Ghost in that wonderful maner fel vpon them In priuate communication A foole is to be answered according to his folly but if in pub like among the presse in the highest places of the citie or entrings of the gates where wisdomes voice should be heard a foole chance to babble and vtter that is dangerous to the simple which these Discoursers haue done then is the folly of a foole to bee throughly discouered and layd open to the viewe of all men The foolish of Pro. 14 15 which number are the most will beleeue euery thing be it neuer so false be it neuer so absurd neuer so sottish ridiculous specially if it be countenanced with Authority as are the Dialog call Discourses For this reason euen to keepe the simple from error who are so easilie seduced notwithstanding the vnworthines of these Discourses there is cause something should be sayd in answere vnto them by my selfe or other Neither doe I doubt but these my rude lines will by the blessing of God be effectuall to recouer those which through their verbal writings be falne from the truth to strengthen such as be wauering and to stablish them which more firmely hold the truth If this successe follow I shall haue no cause to repent me of my paines nor any other to account the same superfluous Now therfore brethren I beleech you know these disturbers be not deceiued by their ouercasting and smoothing Examine what they say before ye beleeue them Anb albeit your authority is not able to bridle them the more is our griefe and the miserie of our Church yet auoid their doctrines in your selues and in your people I beseech you also as your occasions may serue admonish them that yet in want of a publike degree they may gather by you seuerally what is the iudgement of all and be therby ashamed and reclaimed if so the Lord in mercy please Litle needes such conflict in these times wherin that antichrist of Rome extremely rageth as now entring his last triall But we must haue fightings 2. Cor. 7. 5. without and feares within open wars with the preists and lesuites the seruants of Antichirist and many priuate grieuances by such as would bee counted of the houshold of faith It behooues vs therefore brethren to put on the armor of righteousnes on the right 2. Cor. 6. 7 hand and on the left that wee may manfully defend mainteine the holy truth in all her bounds limits vnuiolated syncere where by the puritie of Religion may still bee continued and all errour abandoned froÌ„ anoying either vs or our posteritie after vs. The god of mercy peace and truth confirme and establish our heartes that we may fight the good fight like good soldiers of Iesus Christ and quit our selues like men holding faith a good conscience to the glory of his name euerlasting comfort of our owne soules through Iesus our Lord and onely Sauiour Amen Your fellow seruant in the worke of the Gospell Iohn Darrell THE REPLIE TO THE FIRST DIALOGVE Pag. 3 9. 10. IT is a cunning sleight to beguile the simple with in propounding to satisfy the world for any thing that hath bene sayd concerning the poynts and parties controuerted wholy to omit the books calledthe Triall the Detection the Narration of seuen possessed in Lancashire contayning in them matters of fact and onely to bend your forces against one Treatise called The Doctrine c. The reason of which omission Christian Reader is this To disproue things done so euidently knowne to so many eye-witnesses were all one as to perswade that white is blacke that fire is Ice that it is dark night in the cleare sunshine which whoso should endeuor would rather be esteemed of all a mad maÌ„ theÌ„ gaine any credit to his cause But in points and controuersies of doctrine there was more hope to deceiue For here through multitude of words ambiguous tearmes fraudulent courses of reasoning false coloured sentences wrested and mistconstrued scriptures abused authorities of famous men and such other deuises not onely the ignorant vnable to search the truth should be blinded but also many learned which before had not welghed these thinges neither perhaps would take the paines to sift and try them to the proofe might be striken with some amase doubt Only they whose iudgments are seasoned with sound vnderstanding which at first sight are able to discerne the cro oked writings of peenish and foolish sophisters and know without book the scope of most mens writings in account amongst the learned woulde giue true sentence of the cause and condemne the se opinions of ignorance and errour But the number of such is smal and therfore by these Answerers was lesse regarded This whatsoeuer they pretend was the true ground of their choise yet though they will not Pag. 3. meddle with the Triall and Detection they must bicker a blow or two with the Epistles of both To let passe the disgraces wherewith they lade them for the Triall I may say for therof am not I author I doubt not but iudiciall men wil acknowledge more sound learning in some fewe lines of it then is in the whole bundle of your foolish Discourses To come to that which is material you charge the Triall but with two things in this charge make four lies such is your compendious
facultie First say you it matcheth your pretended miracle with the true miracles of Christ The words of the Epistle speaking to the L. Popham bee these And concerning Epist pag. 4. as highly the glory of Christ our Sauiour as it doth the credit of a faithfull minister Is here any comparison of miracles Is here any meÌ„tion of miracles at all Doth it say any more but this cause being about a worke done in the name of Christ doth as highly concerne Pag. 4. Daâ—râ—ls trial in the Epist pa. 8 his glory as my credit Again say you the prelats are charged with the sin against the Holy Ghost Thus speaketh the Epistle that the prelates which now set themselues against dispossession be guiltie of this vnpardo nable sin I wil not say If I wil not say be I do say theÌ„ the prelats are charged with this sin Out of this branch spring two other That you report the Epistle to labour the L. Chiefe Iustice to recouer himself with speed froÌ„ that fearefull sin wherunto it seemes he is fearefully falling and that he would reuerse iudgement passed against me He which writ the Epistle did not dote as you do to entitle his Honour an vpright and worthy and a righteous iudge to desire and vrge his Lordship to releeuâ— the oppressed innocent specially to take to heart the slanders giuen out of the works of God and within a few lines after to place him in the verie brinke of reprobation Neither doth he perswade to a Reuersing of iudgment for there was none passed as the Authour knew well enough but to a second hearing as Felix heard Paul the second time Now then let the Reader tell me if you bee not pithie lyars that can comprehend so many in so little roome For my Detection you charge the Title as vndutifull against her Maiesties iudiciall proceedings for that it is so sharpe against M. Harsnets booke It is more then I knowe or can beleeue that her Maiestie commanded M. Harsnet to write or that her Right Hono. Counsell inioined him so much or that the high CoÌ„mission laid this vpon him It may be if his owne vainglorious humor which euer tooke pleasure to be biting of others did not prick him forward to this busines yet that the B. his maister of his priuat authoritie did set him his taske tosalue this owne credit and of such as had ioined in disgracing the truth But I hope one may repreheÌ„d some priuat actions of the B. without any vndtifulnes to her maiesties proceedings You then are malicious pikthanks which haue nothing in your mouthes but Ad leones ad leones He is not Cesars friend Pag. 5. For the Epistle you charge me with reviling the B. I answere It was not anie contempt or malice towards his person or forgetfulnesse of any dutie to authoritie that moued me to such seueritie as I vsed but onely feare least otherwise I should haue failed in dutie towards God Those which sinne saith the Apostle reproue openly And 1. Tim. 5. 20 Tit. 2. 15. Matth. 3. Matth. 23. reproue with all authoritie And when I heare Iobn Baptist calling the Phariâ—ees Deceiuers and Generations of vipers when I heare our Sauiour most sharply reprouing them by the names of Persecutors serpents generation of vipers the children of hell painted sepulchers and such like And S. Paul speaking to Elymas O full of all subtilty and Act. 13. 9. 10. Philip. 3. 2. Tit. 1 12. 1. King 18 Act. 23. 2. Tim. 4. 17 all mischiefe the child of the diuell and enemy of all righteousnesse calling also false prophets Dogges and the Cretians beasts yea when I heare Eliiah call Ahab the troubler of Israel our Sauiour tearme Herod a foxe Paul entituling Ananias a painted wall and Nero by the name of a Lyon I hese and manie such other places of practise giue me some light for vnderstanding the precept and teach me that albeit in my priuate cause I am to vse all mildenesse and gentlenesse yet when the Lords truth is interessed and slaundered his greate mercie obscured and that of purpose and wilfully neither one Sergius by Elymas hindered but manie thousands turned backe from beleeuing his works from praising him for them and profiting by them in this case the man of authority is no lesse to be stricken with the edge of reproofe then he that is in inferiour place Nay rather the publike person then the priuate man by how much his example is more dangerous either forcing or alluring great multitudes to imbrace his errour And this doth not hinder but with Dauid pag. 6. Stephen and our Sauiour himselfe and all the holy martyrs of God wee should pray for our persecuters and blesse them which curse vs for reproofe and hatred be not necessarily linked together but Reproofe is a notable remedie to preserue from hatred according to that the Lord saith Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thy bea rt but Louit 19. 1 thou shalt plainly rebuke thy neighbour and suffer him not to sinne But this is your maner to huddle vp all things in a confused heape together and that which is spoken with certaine prouisoes and limitations to alleage it as a bare and simple commaund Thus much for the Epistles pag. 7. Yet before you come to the Treatise you will admonish the Reader of two cunning sleights of legerdemainc practised by me throughout that my Pamphlet whereof the first is That I haue slily ouâ—rslipped what is materiall in M. Harsnets Discouery as to make good that distinction of Mirandum Miraculum which he hath dashed to nothing I answere that as becommeth true natural Leopards you cannot change your skinne but you must needs be lying heere as almost euerie where else for I haue replied to M. Harsnet out of Augustine and Danaeus Detection pag. 6. shewing an apparant difference betweene a Wonder and a Miracle And further haue I answered in suruey of your tenth Dialogue from whence I pray you tell M. Harsnet that if he remember the difference betweene Genus and Species he may feele with his finger that a Wonder and a Miracle be not all one And if this will not suffice him demaund of him whether Antichrist by the power of Satan worketh not wonders and whether he esteeme all those wonders to be true miracles And as touching your selues who accord with M. Harsnet herein what say you to these words of your owne The Dialog pag. 209. 310. diuell may worke wonders as Simon Magus hath done but hee can effect no miracles And in another place A thing effected by essentiall meanes howsoeuer it may be a wonder yet no miracle in any respect How can you possibly free your selues here from a contradiction And this is my reply to your first instance Againe say you M. Harsnet accusing verie orderly by Sommers testimony mine owne answers and seuerall depositions this his materiall proceeding is pretermitted with silence What haue I
yet they feele no paines at all Yet I doubt not but that Satan can jo order the matter as that the Possessed shall haue paine when he shall see it serue for his purpose c. By which I shewe there is â—ag 48. not one vniforme order to be expected in these cases which varietie of affliction these men would draw to inconstancie of opinion You condemne me also for thinking The Scripture signes are not recorded onely as matter of fact but partly to helpe vs in discorning of possessions Mar. 9. 21. I ground my reason on the question of our Sauiour How long time is it he hath beene thus You answere Christ respecteth in this question onely the first time of that accident And I reply you respect in this answer how to trifle off any thing obâ—ected against you with foolish words without any substance at all Doth not our Sauiour loyne together with the time the maner and forme of his handling Doth he not enquire as well of the one as of the other We must haue a question of time without any subiect matter or reference to any thing Miraculous Answerers which can measure time without any standard laid vnto it You charge me with foisting in words into the text for aduantage but it is your owne mouthes which runne pag. 49. ouer with the word Essentially and not any addition of mine I content my selfe with the phrase of the holy Ghost reiecting these tearmes as needlesse and superfluous Though wheresoeuer the diuel is this speech properly vnderstood as it is vsually in the matter of Possession there must also his spiritual essence be That which you thinke is more then the text is onely added to paraphrase it and though these words In him be not in this Scripture yet are they else where vsed in like case you are very hungry which would leap Act. 19 1 at so small a morsell Whether there be a medicine or no for curing Essentiall possession you yay we shall see after in handl ng that joint and I am content to refer pag 50. 51 52. it thither As for speedie deliuer aâ—â—ee of the afflicted I acknowledge it is no argument of possession and I thanke you for reprouing it though of my selfe I would be ready to retract anie thing dissonant from the truth It is not my desire any my stubble should bee layd vpon the foundation but I am coÌ„tent the fire of Gods word should consume it I alleaging those words of the law That the Lord will bring vpon Deut. 28. 6 pag. 53. Râ—uel 22. 1 transgrâ—ssâ—â—â— euâ—ry â—â—cknâ—sse and euery plague which is not written in the booke of the Law vntill they be destroyed And also that of Saint Iohn He that shall adde vnto these things God shall adde vnto him the plagues that are written in this booke to proue that men may now be possessed you answere I abuse the Scripture making Possession sametimes written sometimes vnwritten But you abuse your selues and your Reader to iangle about that which euerie childe might teach you For who knowes not that some thinges might bee vnwritten in the Law that be very frequent in the Gospel as indeed Possession is But to answer my argument out of these places you denie pag. 53. Essentiall possession to be decrced in God his eternall counsell for a iudgement That Possession is essentiall we haue sufficiently proued in suruey of your Discourses That it is decreed for a iudgement may appeare to any not wilfully blind by those manifolde examples of men possessed in the Scriptures Except those things hapned beside the decree of God or else those possessions were rewards and benefits not iudgements and afflictions It may be your impudent vaine will not sticke to admit either though none can avouch the first but Atheists nor the second but only men that are mad I haue shewed in your Discourses how the Lords iudgements are perpetuall though not inflicted euerie moment but after such intermission as pleaseth him Is it not then excellent stuffe you bring That the iudgements of this life for we speake only of them cannot perpetually pag. 54. bee inflicted but salvation must needs be barred from all in Christ In like maner because I say Possession is but a conditionall and temporall iudgement you therefore interre It is not perpetuall Wâ—ere you play with the wordâ— meaning perpetuall a continued connexion such as nothing may be put betweene when as that is vsually said to bee perpetuall which is common to all ages though it appeare but now â—ag 55. and then You charge me with disputing from May be to a being in deed May not I wel dispute It may be wheÌ„ you would euerie where maintaine It cannot bee How can a being indeede bee concluded before it be manifest the same thing May be If the heauens therefore fall we shall not onely catch Larks as you say but by catching also of you two we shall catch something that wants braines I affirming There is as great cause of this iudgmeÌ„t now as at any time heretofore you answere It is vâ—tâ—rly vntrue The manifestation of Christs Deitie and the confirmation of his glorious Gospel being the maine causes of possessioÌ„ in Christs time My meaning is as appeareth by my words there is as great cause in respect of sin as much abounding now as euer For I do not compare this cause of punishment with the manifestation of Christ his Deitie And therfore besides the ceasing of the two maine causes you should also haue shewed that sin was ceased or else sinne to be no cause which you purpose to doe in the pag. 56. pages following But in the meane season how doe you flourish it as if I should proudly limit the Lord his times and seasons for inflicting his iudgements I limit no times but leaue it free to the Lord yet knowing the reward of sinne and the ample kingdom it now hath according to the maner of all the Prophets I can do no lesse then expect his fearefull iudgements of what kind so euer But you will pag. 57. 58. proue Possession is no punishment for sinne and that out of the Depth of Divinity Your reason is Afflictions of this life laid vpon the Elect be not properly punishments It is true but what do you lay to this possession of Diuels is an affliction of this life We graunt this too yet so that not onely Possession is an affliction of this life but that there be infinite other miseries and calamities besides What then Shall we now conclude That no miserie or calamitie whatsoeuer as well as this of Possession is any punishment for sinne O deepe Diuinitie and such as hath not beene raised from the bottomlesse pit till now I denie not but the Lord may impose it vpon a man for trial and for other ends as he knowes best but may he not also therfore inflict it as a chastisement for sinne or castigatorie punishment But
cast out diuels But what if they will not you aâ—e neuer a whit the nearer Such trumperie sha l haue no other answere â—or answere to your fourth reason I say a reprobate may appâ—â—l end the mercies of God the Creator but not of God the Redeemer And such apprehensiâ—n for the eâ—ecting of Satan â—ay â— ffice You slaunder me when â—ou say that in dispâ—ssâ—ssion of Sommers pag. 182 we purposely prayed to teach the bâ—â—olders that the wâ—rk â—as â—ffâ—cted by the onely â—ower of him tâ— whome wâ— put vp ouâ— prayâ—r â—uâ— what is pag. 183. 184. 185 it to say you sclander me You make no more account to scâ—ander me then to fillip me Againe I doe not say that parties bâ—wâ—â—â—hed haue no waâ—rant from the Scripture tâ— fast prayâ— as is apparanâ— in the place by you quoted where I counsell them to this holâ— exercise but only that ther is not such expresse mention in the word for the curing oâ— theâ— as for parties possessed And therefore all that is an idle dispute which you purpose for diuers pages together in this matter â—ou would â—aâ—â— haue me a companion in this wicked pag. 186 aâ—â—ertion which your selues maintain as is apparant afterwards But note good readeâ— foâ— an egregâ—ous blasphemy that these Answerers make tâ—e Lorâ— guiltie of the horrible sins coÌ„mitted by the wicked in sâ—â—king to the â—â—ueil for help in their miseries For how doe they proue it to be an absurâ—itie to condâ—mnâ— pâ—oples going to the diuel for helpe Surely thus 〈◊〉 â—t be a sinne to sâ—eke help of the diuel we shall make the Lord ginitâ—â— of this sin wâ—th uâ— whom it canâ—ot be done Thou â—eest what blasphemie this proposition coÌ„taineth for it plainly affor deth that which before I â—ay And the Conclusion to wit it is no â—â—nr e to â—â—eke â—elpe of the diuel is a conclusion of monstrous impietâ—e â—o where they would proue There is no warrant from the worae for prayer and â—asting to be vsed in behalfe of parties bewitched pag. 188. there argument is of this â—orte â—f there be no waâ—rant â—rom the word thaâ— sole prayer â—asting haue any power of themselues ex opere â—perato to râ—â—o â—e â—upernaturall â—udgemâ—â—ts of God then there is no waâ—rant for parties bâ— witchâ—d to vse fasting and prayer as hâ—lâ—efull in this â—ase But the first say they is true therfore the secâ—nd â—ut what do you sticke at parties bewitched You should haue inferred generally there is no warrant nor vse oâ— fasting and prayer at al for any thing ex opere oâ—erato O men strâ—â—ken with the blindnes of Sodoâ—e â—â—ich before the dâ—re seek the â—â—â—e and cannot â—ind it Is it your foolishnes thâ—t you cannot tell what you auouch Or your shamlesnes that you â—asâ—e not tâ—ougâ— youâ— names should be deseâ—uedly odious to all Or is it tâ—at you do so far â—eâ—pise all the learned of this land that you thinke there â—s not one man able to diâ—cearne such prod gious falshood â—uch â—retched persons would ratâ—er be câ—nfuted with a three corâ—ed wâ—ip theâ— by the writinges or wordes of any Anâ— if that will not serue it were â—eete such order migâ—t be taken with you tâ—at the Church of God sustaine no damge by you pag. 19â— Whether I haue so fondly trauersed this question of â—oss ssâ—oâ— as you saâ— I leaâ—â— it to the gâ—dly learned to determine to whose cenâ—ure I willinglâ— submit my selâ—e botâ— in this in al other mâ— writings But as for your iudgments I passe â—ot First make it appeaâ—e you haue eyes in your owne heads before â—ou take vpon you to telâ— what is straight or croked in â—e then â—anctifie â—our mouths bâ— câ—nfessing your lyes your sclaunders your blasphemies before you giue sentence of any my doings In the mean season if you will needs be bar king I will find such a bone for you to gnaw on as shall bee fit for your chaps â— 191 192 â—93 Concerning the counsell I gaue for fasting and prayer it was grounded from hence that in all iudgements of which kind possession is we are called to humiliation for which I cite in the margine an induction of diuers examples To which you answere first that with out particular knowledge of the iudgement prayers could not be made in faith to remoue it which is one oâ— those Axioms that neuer fails you such an one as Ahabs prophets were inspired with wheÌ„ they counsel led him to warre against Ramoth Shall not the poore countrey sicke man pray to God for some comfort in his distresse because he doth not know particularly the nature of his disease Secondly that the quoted Scriptures onely testifie the peoples â—umiliation by prayâ—r and fasting so oft as any strange iudgement was inflicted but proue not essentiall pâ—ssessions and dispossâ—ssions by those means yet they proue the counsell I gaue was warrantable and this I content my selfe with It is enough if my poore premises afforde mee one naturall and orderly conclusion at one time Euery mans Cow can not bring forth colts as yours do ag 194. 95 196. To conclude you tell vs your great confidence in the cause which no man needs to doubt of if he consider your former arrogant bold nesse nor much maruell at as strange if he call to minde your vncredible blindnesse But if your learning and conscâ—eâ—ce were more your confidence would be a great deale lesse Then you inâ—erre of the premises That if there be no possession nor dispossession nowe by fasting and prayer how greatly they haue erred that haue auouched it and how much they are to be blamed which cannot endure it should be impugned But contrariwise say I if all these things be true which you denie as hath beene prooued by stronger reason then you possibly withstand what doe â—ou deserue which haue troubled the Church with newe and singular opinions in these points and in broaching them haue offered to the world to choke them withall other verie many grosse fantasticall and impious absurdities and yet you dare intitle your fooleries The infallible truth and such as Glory praise is to be giuen to toe Lord for these his lately reuealed counsels by you concerning these intricate questions O intolerable proud ignorance Haue you by late reuelation cleared these intricate questions Indeed your assertions be late for they were neuer heard of in the Church before but they were neuer reuealed vnto you by the Spirit of truth but by that lying spirit whose image doth liuely appeare almost in euery argument you handle And yet that my selfe be not onely iudge let any man of vnderstanding waigh with equal balance that litle that hath beene replyed compare it with yours then giue sentence whether any since the time of our peace by our gratious Queene professing the gospell hath published any writing of diuinitie that doth come neare these your treatises in number of vnsound potions in